Despite the playoffs being out of reach, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith has plenty to play for in the season finale.

Which, yes, means that in the shadows of Hollywood, Smith on Sunday could be referred to as having a chance to play the role of the $6 million man. The incentives are part of a three-year contract he signed in March 2023. That deal initially was reported to be worth up to $105 million over three years.

Seattle won't make the playoffs for the second consecutive campaign, despite winning records in both 2023 and 2024. That argues for both benching quarterback Geno Smith this weekend and potentially moving on from him over the offseason.

Geno Smith knows what is at stake entering the Seahawks' season finale, but he isn't going to chase incentives at the expense of his team winning.

Additionally, quarterback Geno Smith is playing to earn himself some serious bonus money. Smith’s season has been a roller coaster. He has helped guide the Seahawks to a third-consecutive winning season, but untimely turnovers (both his fault and not) contributed to Seattle’s inconsistent offense this year.

The Seattle Seahawks are in full chase mode for a playoff berth, but Geno Smith is not the long-term answer at QB.

But the finale to this sputtering, see-saw Seahawks season isn’t meaningless. Not to Geno Smith. Seattle’s final game of the 2024 season at the NFC West-champion Los Angeles Rams is the veteran quarterback’s $6 million game.

For one thing, there's a lot of money on the line in potential bonuses for head coach Mike Macdonald and his players. Macdonald told reporters earlier this week he'll be playing his starters in an effort to get that 10th win of the season.